An artificial intelligence (AI) advocacy group is urging President-elect Trump to make billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk a special adviser to the White House focused on AI.
Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) launched the petition on Monday, which touted Musk’s work on AI and said the billionaire has struck a balance between ensuring AI is developed safely and advancing the emerging technology.
“As artificial intelligence races ahead, the U.S. should lead the world in advancing AI safely and securely,” the group said in its petition. “No one is better equipped to help the Trump Administration make America lead on AI than Elon Musk.
“Musk has made major contributions to the field of AI both as an entrepreneur and as a thought leader. While advancing AI, he has also advocated for AI safety and the need to mitigate existential and catastrophic risks,” ARI’s petition added.
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The petition also noted that Musk recently called for regulators to have insights into what Big Tech firms are doing on AI and added that while there should be “proper mechanisms in place to handle conflicts of interest, Musk would be an invaluable asset for helping the Trump administration navigate the development of this transformational technology.”
Musk has firsthand involvement in the AI revolution through his work as CEO of Tesla as well as xAI, an AI-focused startup he launched in 2023. He has also pursued lawsuits against OpenAI alleging that the AI startup violated its original mission by switching to a for-profit arrangement.
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He also endorsed a California bill to require AI developers who spend more than $100 million to build an AI model to also implement safety testing as well as safeguards against cyberattacks, while also allowing the state attorney general to take civil action against AI developers that cause “critical harm.”
Though the bill passed the California legislature, it was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who took issue with its design to target the largest AI developers and noted that AI models developed by smaller firms could emerge to be equally or more dangerous than those that would’ve been covered by the law.
Musk has also called for President-elect Trump to create a Department of Government Efficiency that would work to find and eliminate wasteful federal spending and offered to take on a role in advancing the group’s work.
He has touted the efficiency initiative for months since he first announced his support for Trump’s campaign to return to the White House. Trump said prior to the election that he would ask Musk to lead the government efficiency commission if he were to win.
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However, Musk’s level of involvement with his various business ventures has prompted scrutiny from investors — a dynamic his involvement in additional advisory roles at the White House could exacerbate.
Tesla investors who were opposed to Musk’s $56 billion pay package argued that he’s too distracted by his other ventures to merit what is believed to be the most lucrative compensation package for any CEO of a publicly traded company.
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Tesla shareholders voted to reinstate Musk’s pay package this summer after it was voided by a Delaware judge in January over issues with disclosures about Musk’s personal relationships with board members who approved the compensation package in 2018. The case remains pending.
